Hellblazer Musings

I recently bought a twenty-five cent issue of Batman from 1990. In the letters’ page was a column by editor Denny O’Neil discussing some recent issues of Jamie Delano’s Hellblazer he had read (#14-22, ‘The Fear Machine’ storyline). It’s great to see a response from the that period to a book like Hellblazer. O’Neil was struck by the book’s darker tone, the fact that these nine issues constituted a “novel” in their own right, John Constantine’s status as an anti-hero, and that, in 1990, when the column was written, this format of character and story was becoming more common than it was when Hellblazer first debuted (and, with the birth and growth of Vertigo, has become even more common since).

It got me reflecting on Hellblazer. I’ve recently been making my way through the title. Well, ‘recently’ might not be the best word. I’ve been slowly taking out the collected editions of the series from Toronto Public Library over the past while. I’m up to Brian Azzarello’s run on the book (beginning with #146). Given that a lengthy section of the book, as written by Paul Jenkins, is not available in trade form, Azzarello is my fourth writer on the book. (As a side note, I can’t help but think that Jenkins’ run being uncollected is a shame, especially after finding out Sean Phillips drew much of it).

I’ve generally greatly enjoyed the series, and the different take each writer has brought to it. Jamie Delano’s inaugural run was challenging. At times extremely rewarding and at others almost baffling, it certainly got my attention. The book, at least in Delano's earliest issues, is mired in the time period it was written, with John facing any number of social issues in Thatcher’s England and generally lamenting the state of the country. It’s a great milieu for the book, even if Delano sometimes takes it a little too far down that road. ‘The Fear Machine’ story that Denny O’Neil mentions was a highlight for me, especially the early issues where John settled down on a commune.

Garth Ennis had a lengthy run on the book after Delano. Paired with artist Steve Dillon for much of it, it’s almost a precursor to their legendary Vertigo book, Preacher. John’s girlfriend Kit is a focal point of their stories, and their portrayal of John, even at his flawed, weaker moments, is vibrant and compelling. This run isn’t perfect, but it has a grit and energy that carry it through. It should be required reading for any Preacher fan, as it showcases that title’s creative team on a prior project, working out the tone and sense of humour they perfected on that book. My favourite story from this run is probably Ennis’ first, ‘Dangerous Habits’ (#41-46), which Dillon didn’t draw. Will Simpson drew it, and it details John’s struggle with terminal lung cancer and the deals with various devil-figures he makes to get out of it. For all the flair and humour that come with John’s devil dealings, it’s his vicious struggle with the disease that still stands out for me. Other highlights of Ennis' run include various vampire fights and John hitting rock bottom and living on the streets, but his whole run is stellar.

After this is the uncollected Jenkins years, then Warren Ellis comes in to write a short ten-issue stint. Which is a crying shame, as Ellis has a great take on John and produces some great issues. Comprised of one six-part story, ‘Haunted,’ and a string of single issue stories, it’s a taut and effective little run. The single issues in particular, collected as ‘Setting Sun,’ feature rotating artists, including fantastic cover artist Tim Bradstreet doing interiors, and offer some fairly creepy tales. I don’t know if Ellis had long-term plans for the book, but even if he had stuck around to produce more one-issue vignettes like these stories, it would have been great. A short little run that I wish there was more of.

So that brings me to Brian Azzarello’s run, of which I’ve only read the first collection, ‘Hard Time’ (#146-150). It’s certainly a departure from almost everything that’s come before. I’m not sure how it was received as a full run, but I could imagine long-time readers not taking a shine to ‘Hard Time.’ Personally, I really liked it. John is in prison in the US, due to circumstances not revealed until the final scenes of #150, navigating through a prison culture that wants him to assimilate with one of its existing groups, lest he face the wrath of prisoners and guards alike. The fun here was watching the Constantine's troublemaking side show up almost every time things got bad, calling on either magic or good old manipulation to get out of a jam. Of course, John faces some low moments here as well, bringing back the feeling of his most desperate days, living on the streets in Ennis’ run. The setting (both prison and America) and some elements of the tone are such a radical departure for the book that it certainly caught and held my interest. I’m all up for a departure like this if the story is worthwhile, and, so far, Azzarello has produced some very good issues. I’ll check in again once I’ve read more of his run and see how I’m feeling about it.